93 Million Miles to Year Zero
by theD0ct0rD0nna
Summary: A story of a young man in need of belonging. Inspired by two brilliant songs by the amazing 30 Seconds to Mars
1. Chapter 1

93 Million Miles to Year Zero

Theme songs: 93 Million Miles, Year Zero

By: 30 Seconds To Mars

Location, an uncharted planet. Date and time, unknown. We were in space for so long that we gave up on keeping track of days, weeks, years. It seemed pointless to keep track of those things. After all, everyday was the same out in that endless abyss. Then something happened. The ship we were living on had begun to wear out. It started with little things breaking and advanced until it got to the point that we needed to land.

Luckily for us a planet was nearby. It was uncharted and uninhabited. We landed and started over. However we discovered that certain things about the planet were dangerous to us. The environment was turning people and changing their attitudes. They were no longer listening to our captains and began to think dangerous thoughts. They refused to take the pills and more and more began to join them. Even some of the Holy Ones joined them. Soon we were split into two groups, The Lucid and The Echelon.

Soon after the split, a kind of barrier formed. It was a transparent black wall that rose from the ground to the sky. The Echelon was on one side while The Lucid was on the other. That is where I was, the side of The Lucid. However I always snuck down to the wall and watched the other side to see how exactly they were different from us. All I found was that they dressed differently, thought differently, were more independent, and refused to take the pills we took.

These pills kept us happy, under control, tan, and perfect. Those that stopped taking the pills returned to their original skin color, they gained their own thoughts, did as they pleased, and had true happiness. I envied them. I wanted to know everything about The Echelon.

There was one girl that I always watched. She was the most interesting one. She would take an empty basket with her every day. She would either come back later with fruit or flowers or other goods. I always wondered where this garden was that she went to every day. One day when I was down by the wall, I decided to take a chance and talk to her. I waited until she was on her way back from the garden.

"Where does your garden grow?" I asked running up to the wall. She didn't stop walking and I followed her along the wall. "Tell me the secrets that you know."

"Another time, another place," she answered me.

"Where are the Holy Ones?" I asked looking around. I didn't see the robed figured roaming the town, keeping an eye one people. Not like they did in our town.

A devilish smile came across her face. "Selling the secret to the sun. Welcome to the Universe."

She stopped then and turned toward me. She thought for a moment and looked me over. "Cross the line, redefine, lose your mind. Come crawl inside."

What was she asking me to do? Was she asking me to cross the wall? Could it be done? Would I die if I did? I looked back toward The Lucid town.

"Hey, hey," she said to get my attention. I looked back to her. "What've you got? It doesn't matter to me cause I don't want them. I'm not the only one."

I reached inside my pocket and felt my daily dose of pills rattle in the little box I kept them in. I began to think. Was I really considering joining The Echelon? What would my family do? So many thoughts rushed through my head that I couldn't take it anymore.

"The unified divide among and then deny," I blurted out.

She shifted the basket in her arms and sighed. "Now could you kindly cut to the chase?" She was getting impatient, waiting for my answer. Something in her eyes said that she wanted me with her.

I closed my eyes and made up my mind. I looked back at The Lucid town as I spoke. "It's like some other song. Pretty but something's always wrong. Show me the secret ancient sign."

The girl smiled at me with genuine happiness. She set down the basket and stepped closer to the wall. She thrust her hand through the transparent black wall. The wall rippled out from her wrist like water. I watched as her hand changed. Her black chipped nail polish turned to pink manicured nails. Her rather pale skin rapidly changed into a caramel sun kissed color. Even her clothing changed. The part that came through changed into the fashion for girls in The Lucid town.

"Cross the line, redefine, lose your mind. Come crawl inside," she beckoned me. As she spoke people from The Echelon town gathered around to watch us. Voice came from behind me. The Holy Ones and others were coming to stop me.

The girl reached out and pulled my face back to hers. "Hey, hey. What've you got?" She looked down at the pills in my hand. "It doesn't matter to me 'cause I don't want them. I'm not the only one."

More people were coming toward me from my town. If I was going to really do this I had to act fast. She pulled her hand back and it went back to its normal look.

"Hey, Hey. What've you got? It doesn't matter to me 'cause I don't want them. I'm not the only one." She gestured to The Echelon that had gathered. They all looked at me with welcoming smiles.

I turned to see my town coming to 'rescue' me. My heart pounded in my chest. I had to act fast. Stay with The Lucid and be miserable and always watch the girl I admired from afar? Or go with The Echelon and be happy with her for the rest of my life?

She spoke to me again, capturing my attention. She knew what was in my heart and she knew my decision.

"See it's in your eyes. Come break me down. Come break me," she whispered to me. Her eyes pleaded for me to come over. Those eyes begged for me to be with her, to be happy. She smiled sweetly at me and held out her hand inches away from the wall.

I dropped my pill box, reached for her hand, and closed my eyes. I could hear the voices and screams of The Lucid people. I walked through the wall and felt my whole body fill with an electrical feeling. Everything was changing and it felt amazing. I opened my eyes to see The Echelon smiling at me. They all welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I was where I truly belonged.

I was with the girl I had watched for years. She held my hand tightly and kissed my cheek. We ignored the cried from The Lucid and walked away from the wall.

"Hey, hey. What've you got?" we said as we gave one more last look at the wall.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of years have passed by. A crack in the wall has developed. No one knows how it happened or why. The Echelon didn't really pay any attention to the wall. We went on with our lives as if it wasn't there.

Everything was going fine until a loud crack thundered through the town. We all saw the wall crumble down from the sky. The Echelon ran to the wall to find it in pieces on the grass. We stood there looking at what remained of the transparent wall.

We dared to walk over the shards and into The Lucid territory. We expected The Lucid people to come running at us with weapons but nothing happened. We looked around warily. It looked deserted.

"Be a hero, kill your ego. It doesn't matter, it's all just a pack of lies," I said looking around. The town looked as if it had been torn apart, as if it was an illusion. "Build a new base, steal a new face. It doesn't matter it's all just to save you."

"We'll never fade away," called out The Echelon. It seemed that The Lucid people had infact faded away. There was no trace of them. "We'll never fade away."

We were free of them completely. "I will stand my own ground. I will tear down myself. I won't fade." I felt a slight fear pass through me as the girl I loved and I walked through the deserted town. Would I fade as The Lucid had?

"Year Zero, another hero. Is anybody alive here across the line?" I asked my love.

"Buy a new face. Start a new race," she answered. "It doesn't matter it's all just to save your faith."

"It's all just to save you," I thought out loud.

"It's all just to save your faith," she repeated taking my hand to reassure me everything was going to be okay. I was still nervous about my fate and coming back to this town.

As The Echelon walked through the empty town I began to feel stronger and stronger. With The Echelon around me I felt safe and confident.

"We'll never fade away," we said together. "We'll never fade away."

"I will stand my own ground. I will tear down myself." We made our way out to an open valley that had been untouched by either group. I felt the power from my fellow Echelon and from the planet's core build inside me.

"I will stand my own ground. I will tear down myself. I won't fade!" I called up to the sky. "I won't fade!"

My fellow Echelon and the love of my life gathered around me. "We'll never fade away," I chanted to them.

"We'll never fade away," they continued.

"We will never fade away!" I called out.

"We'll never fade away," we said in unison. The Echelon was alive, we would survive.

**AN: Love 30 STM and their awesomeness! Hope you enjoyed this little tale. =)**


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